Nail biting can be a difficult routine to break – but if you do not, your dental health might suffer a lot more than your manicure. Inning accordance with the Academy of General Dentistry, children or adults who bite their nails might crack, chip or wear down their front teeth from the stress caused by biting. And, those who wear braces put their teeth at even higher risk for root resorption (a reducing of the roots) or tooth loss, considering that braces already put increased pressure on the teeth.
Can Nail Biting Damage My Teeth?
Nail biting puts a pressure on your front teeth, which they are not meant to stand up to, referred to as shearing. Although teeth are really resilient and can stand up to many different things, the shearing that nail biting develops can cause chipping. Since most nail biters habitually use their front incisors to obtain at their thick nails, this winds up harming the most noticeable teeth in your smile.
A research study in the journal General Dentistry likewise reported that patients who bite their fingernails, chew on pencils or clench their teeth might be at a greater risk for bruxism – unintentional grinding or clenching that can cause facial pain, headaches, tooth level of sensitivity, recessed gums and tooth loss.
The signs of bruxism consist of: flat looking pointers of the teeth; tooth enamel that is worn away, causing extreme level of sensitivity; popping or clicking of the jaw; and indentations of the tongue. So it is other reason why biting nails bad for teeth.
Other dental health dangers for nail biters can include sore, torn or harmed gum tissue brought on by jagged, sharp fingernail edges and the spread of bacteria from other body parts to the mouth and from the mouth to the nail bed or bloodstream.
Patients might find that using a mouth guard can deter nail biting and help avoid more damage to teeth. Some dentists can also help patients use therapy strategies, like learning how to rest the tongue upward with teeth apart and lips shut to prevent tooth damage from nail biting.
